Can
I Increase My Life Span?
And
which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
Matthew
6:27
An
Indian fable says that a mouse was in constant distress because of its fear of
the cat. A magician took pity on it and turned it into a cat. Immediately it
became afraid of the dog. So the magician turned it into a dog. Immediately it
began to fear the tiger. So the magician turned it into a tiger. Immediately it
began to fear the hunter. Then the magician said, “Be a mouse again, you have
only the heart of a mouse and I cannot help you.”
Yesterday
we saw that Jesus was telling us that we should never worry about our food. He
is there to take care of our needs. The verse for today further speaks about
the second illustration – worrying about our future.
One
of the easiest and simplest phrases to say, yet so difficult to live by is “Don’t
worry”. Jesus is telling us that we are not going to lengthen our life by
worrying on the contrary we might shorten it. We all know that we can’t
lengthen but we live in a day where everybody wants to do that.
In
the Old Testament it was obedience that lengthened life. When we worry, it is a
sign of an unhealthy relationship with God. When we choose God’s agenda instead
of the world’s agenda, God will surely and richly bless us.
Anyone
can give thanks when the pasture is filled, the fields are beautiful, the work
is fulfilling and their health is good. But do we when our crops have failed,
the job we worked for years disappears and the company shuts down or when the
doctor tells us that we have only a few months to live.
There
is an old English proverb that says, “Worrying is like sitting in a rocking
chair. It gives you something to do but doesn’t get you anywhere.” Jesus in
this verse presets evidence that worry is irreverent as it fails to recognize
the God who gave us life and is sustaining it.
Peter
was a worrier. He worried about things all the time. He worried about drowning
when he was walking on the water, even though the Lord was right there. He worried
about the things that were going to happen to Jesus in the garden, pulled a
sword and tried to fight the Romans. He worried about Jesus being crucified and
told Him not to do that. He was anxious a lot, but finally got the message and
wrote in 1 Peter 5:7 a great truth for all of us – Casting all your anxieties on Him for He cares for you. It took him
awhile to learn it. But he learned it.
Let
us pray – Dear Lord, root out any worry and replace it with faith and trust in
you.
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